Steve Baker, standing in his Texas City backyard, talks about the loss of his family's dog, Bailey, last week, when a neighbor's pit bulls broke through the fence into their yard killing the 10-year-old beagle.

Woman sues owners of dog killed by her pit bulls

Steve and Tiffany Baker still have a hole in their backyard fence where a neighbor's pit bulls broke through into their yard killing their 10-year-old beagle, Bailey.

JENNIFER REYNOLDS/The Daily News

Steve and Tiffany Baker still have a hole in their backyard fence where a neighbor's pit bulls broke through into their yard killing their 10-year-old beagle, Bailey.

JENNIFER REYNOLDS/The Daily News

Steve Baker, standing in his Texas City backyard, talks about the loss of his family's dog, Bailey, last week, when a neighbor's pit bulls broke through the fence into their yard killing the 10-year-old beagle.

JENNIFER REYNOLDS/The Daily News

Brittany Baker holds a cell phone photo of her family's 10-year-old beagle, Bailey, who was killed by their neighbor's pit bulls in October in Texas City.

TEXAS CITY — A woman whose four pit bulls attacked and killed a family’s 10-year-old beagle in October is now suing the deceased dog’s owner for up to $1 million in damages, according to court documents.

“I couldn’t believe it,” said Steve Baker, Bailey’s owner. “Everyone was telling me to sue her, but I decided not to because it won’t bring Bailey back.”

Justice had already been served since the tragedy, he said.

“The police took the action I wanted and declared those dogs dangerous and awareness was raised; so I decided to let it go,” Baker said. “Now they’re suing me for $1 million — I just can’t believe it.”

Getting served with a lawsuit was a complete shock, he said.

Baker and his wife were served Wednesday with the lawsuit, filed in the 405th District Court, at their home, the same place where their dog was “shaken like a rag doll” by their neighbor’s four pitbulls Oct. 27.

According to court documents, Baker’s neighbor and the plaintiff in the case, Emerald White, claims she was “seriously injured” after she was “unexpectedly and viciously attacked” when she entered the Baker’s backyard to retrieve her dogs, which had entered through a hole in the mutual fence separating the two properties.

Multiple calls made by The Daily News to White’s attorney, Paul LaValle, were not returned Friday.

Court documents state that White said she suffered “multiple serious bite and scratch-type injuries requiring ongoing medical treatment.” She also alleges feeling “conscious pain and suffering and now suffers also from fear anxiety and trepidation” as a result of the “unprovoked attack.”

Baker said his dog, Bailey, had been nothing but a loyal companion to his family who had been around his two daughters since they were babies.

White also alleges in the lawsuit that the Bakers failed to confine and restrict Bailey in a secure enclosure.

Not long before the incident, Baker had worked to replace parts of the fence to be more secure and safe for his dog and family.

Baker said that before the incident, he had spoken with his neighbor about repairing his part of the fence, but never had any response.

Since the incident, White’s four dogs have been declared dangerous dogs by the city of Texas City. The dangerous dog ordinance requires the owners to obtain a secure enclosure that is at least 6 feet high with a mechanical locking device.

Each of the dogs must be registered with the city annually as a dangerous dog. The owners must post a sign in their yard alerting residents of their dangerous dogs and the owners must also have a $100,000 liability on the dogs, police have said.

TEXAS CITY — A lawsuit filed by Emerald White against Steve and Tiffany Baker last week is an example of a victim being revictimized, said Angel Hagmaier, the Bakers' attorney. White's attorney says that isn't so.

TEXAS CITY — The owner of four pit bulls that attacked and killed a family’s 10-year-old beagle appealed to a judge Wednesday not to declare her dogs dangerous because they are “very sweet.” But Justice of the Peace Darrell Apfell saw it differently.

TEXAS CITY — The pit bulls that killed a 10-year-old beagle in its own backyard were “extremely aggressive” and uncontrollable even by their owner, according to a police report obtained by The Daily News.

Watch this discussion.Stop watching this discussion.

(114) comments

"she was “seriously injured” after she was “unexpectedly and viciously attacked” when she entered the Baker’s backyard to retrieve her dogs,"

Is she expecting us to believe that the injured and dying beagle caused her injuries..... or her four pit bulls?

"White also alleges in the lawsuit that the Bakers failed to confine and restrict Bailey in a secure enclosure."

No, the Bakers secured the fence and discussed repair while the plaintiff did nothing to secure her four large dogs. The beagle always WAS confined to it's own property.

I can't see this lawsuit having any merit. In order to win, they would have to prove that it was the Bakers that were irresponsible and THEY caused the injuries. From the reports, it's just the opposite. This is a frivolous lawsuit and I certainly hope that the courts view it as such.

This stinks! I hope somebody picks this case up pro bono and counter sues for court costs AND mental anguish. It infuriates me to think that their little girl must relive her puppy getting torn to pieces by their four monsters. I cannot believe the nerve of some people!

This is everything that's wrong with America. This scumbag pit bull owner failed to take responsibility and now it's everyone else's fault!! That two bit hustler that calls himself a lawyer, Paul LaValle, should be disbarred for filing such a frivolous lawsuit!! The other attorneys in Galveston county should write a letter to the editor condemning such frivolous lawsuits, if they don't then they are spineless and condone such foolishness! If the judge doesn't throw this out and award attorneys fees and damages to the beagles owner, then the judge needs to be run out of office!!

So now, real cases have to wait to be adjudicated because this degenerate dog owner and her ambulance chasing, pitiful excuse for an attorney, try to push through this pant load of a case. In a letter to the editor just 2 days ago, a person wondered what was wrong with our justice system and why it takes so long for justice to be served. Well, here is exhibit A!!!

We will learn a lot about the Galveston attorneys and their various associations by their reaction to this case. We will learn a lot about the judge also. Just don't forget what is learned!!!!

To the owners of the beagle, set up a fund and I will gladly donate to help fight this miscarriage of justice!!

I would be interested to see what happens when LaValle tries to present this case to Judge Ellisor. My only wish in this case is that Mr. Baker would have shot and killed the pit bulls while protecting his dog on his own property.

This woman had to go into her neighbors backyard to try and get in the middle of her 4 pitbulls killing an innocent neighbor's dog and she thinks it's somehow her neighbors fault?

Maybe the scars and the pain that she has to live with will forever be a reminder of the real danger that she selfishly posed to everyone else by not securing her part of the fence in order to make sure that these vicious breed of dogs couldn't get out.

As a home health nurse I often hear people say about their dogs, "Oh, they won't bite" and my response to them is always, "If they have teeth, they will bite".

This is a ridiculous lawsuit and this woman needs to pay up for the Baker's own pain and suffering as a result of their loss of companionship with their family pet.

I'm waiting anxiously to hear about the "unexpected and vicious" attack. Was the plaintiff attacked by the few fence boards the dogs failed to tear through? Or, is the allegation that the distraught and angry defendants express their emotions when the irresponsible plaintiff trespassed into their backyard?

If this case goes anywhere, I may have to move to Texas City, get myself 4 pit bulls, and tell my neighbors that THEY have to put up secondary fences in their yards so that I don't have to worry about repairing the fence to keep my dogs from breaking into their yard.

Either that, or the truth will come out that the beagle ripped open a chunk of the fence, enticed the pit bulls to come over, and then proceeded to slap them around a bit, and the pit bulls had to act in self defense, all in a ploy by the defendants to lure the plaintiff into the yard to be pummeled by the defendants with the carcass of the beagle. Now, if that's the story the plaintiff wants us to believe, perhaps there's more money in penning a novel than in this lawsuit.

The bigotry on this forum is astounding to me. The way you are discriminating against me and the dogs I chose to have in my home is no different than discriminating against different races, you do realize that, right? So does that make you racist?

I am not defending this woman, nor the dogs in this case. I absolutely understand that dogs have base instincts that sometimes cannot be controlled, but to sit and judge myself and other pit bull owners simply based on the fact that we have pits is ridiculous. Simply put: You don't know me, nor my dogs so don't judge us.

Sue her, File charges against her. It don't matter if she has Nothing. SUE her get judgement against her. After winning countersuit if can't pay sell the Debt to a collection agency let them chase her for the next 12 years

1. Her name is "Emerald."2. She lives in a home with someone named "Lacretia."3. She maintains dangerous dogs in a reckless and dangerous manner.4. She's trying to strike it rich by suing someone for something SHE caused.

What an appalling waste of court time and money this lawsuit is! Instead of trying to do anything to make up for such a tragedy, the lowlife neighbor does a preemptive strike by way of a nonsense lawsuit. In the court document neighbor claims that the seriously mauled/dead beagle viciously attacked her while she and her feeding frenzied dogs were trespassing in the beagle's yard. I would want to see medical reports and the bite radius of her injures. I say the judge should file an immediate judgment against pitbull owner, fine her for her lack of supervision of her pitbulls, and render a monetary settlement for the beagle owners. If she is suffering from anything, it is a serious lack of humanity and a huge amount of greed!

I guess we have seen the Grandest example of irresponsible dog ownership in the entire nation. This woman that brought this frivoulous and irresponsible lawsuit should now be sued as she did not learn a thing from getting a walk when her dogs killed the dog of a neighbor when she irresponsible. This woman has No shame but she should be deeply ashamed. [wink]

This is a frivolous law suit. If the pit bulls went into the neighbors yard to kill their dog they have no paws to stand on. I had a dachshund that was attacked in my yard by two Rottweilers trying to tear her in half. I went to the business and told them they needed to pay for vet bills or I would sue them they paid for the bill. These people who are suing they need to get the books on animal attacks because of their ignorance. I hope those people being sued counter sues. [sad][love]

Also, she does not own the property, 2612 9th St N, where the dogs were. She does not own the property at 2601 13th Ave N, which she lists as her address in the lawsuit. The Bakers, however, do own their property at 2616 9th.

She and her lawyers know where the money is.

Can't get the link to work right now, but you can look all this up here: http://www.galvestoncad.org/Appraisal/PublicAccess/PropertySearch.aspx?PropertySearchType=3&SelectedItem=9&PropertyID=&PropertyOwnerID=&NodeID=11

If you look at the pictures you can see where the dogs chewed through the fence .Thankfully the children were not in the yard or this could have been even more tragic .Please Steve Baker on behalf of Bailey who gave her life in vain defending herself against impossible odds sue this woman & file a complaint against her lawyer with the American Bar Association for filing a frivolous lawsuit .To those reading I suggest you google White’s attorney, Paul LaValle .

What an embarrassment to the responsible pit bull owning community. No, the small dog owner is not always innocent like a little lamb... and more times than not a large working breed attacks due to lack of structure, discipline, leadership, training and not because "they were bred for it" or "they were trained to attack or fight".

The worst upset is Bailey is gone, the pit bulls now wear a label... and its all due to human error and all 110% avoidable.

This woman is absolutely ridiculous and a money grubbing SOB. You got bit by your OWN dogs and they went into the NEIGHBOR'S yard. You are responsible for your OWN dogs and what they do not your neighbors. Lady you are one big freaking joke. I hope to god the Judge laughs in your face and denies you everything. You should be ashamed and lucky the neighbors aren't sueing YOU. They definitely better people. As for the Baker's sorry for the loss of your family friend.

If you have small children and have PITS, how are they going to protect themselves if attracted? As M M said below , if they have teeth, they bite..

Some people say they are great around people. The following shows how great they are.

DogsBite.org - In the first 101 days of this year, 16 Americans were killed by dogs. On average, that is a fatal attack inflicted by a canine every 6.3 days in the U.S. since January 1. Pit bulls and their mixes are responsible for 69% (11) of these deaths. Pit bulls alone have an average kill rate of every 9.2 days during this period. Followed by the only other dog breed to inflict more than one death so far in 2014, bullmastiffs 13% (2). Three other dog breeds have inflicted one death

Several studies determined that pit bull owners, and owners of other "vicious" or "high risk" breeds (most commonly identified as Akita, Chow Chow, Doberman Pinscher, Rottweiler, and Wolf-mix), are more likely to have criminal convictions and are more likely to display antisocial behaviors. A 2006 study compared owners of "high risk" dogs to owners of "low risk" dogs. "High risk" dogs included “vicious” dogs by breed (e.g., pit bulls) or “vicious” actions (e.g., any dog that had bitten, attacked, or killed a person or other animal). The study determined that "high risk" dog owners had nearly 10 times as many criminal convictions than did "low risk" dog owners] A 2009 study and a follow-up 2012 study generally supported these findings.A popular myth is that pit bulls have "locking jaws". There is no physiological "locking mechanism" in the jaw muscle and bone structure of pit bulls or other dogs. Pit bull-type dogs, like other terriers, hunting and bull-baiting breeds,can exhibit a bite, hold, and shake behavior and at times refuse to release. Pit bulls also have wide skulls, well-developed muscles, and strong jawsMethods to force pit bull-type dogs to release their grip include breaking an ammonia ampule and holding it up to the dog's nose or using a "break stick" to lever the dog's jaws open if it is biting a person or animal.

Pit-bull Rescue Central, the leading authority of pit bull types, admits MOST pit-bull types are not safe around other dogs. For that reason alone is why I do not consider them safe family pets for our neighborhoods. These are powerful animals that break away from their guardians all the time and maul & kill another beloved pet or person in front of a child or person. This is a typical pit attack on another beloved pet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZTiGWgQubA Too many children & adults have watched their beloved pets be mauled to death by pit bulls. Many develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after watching a horrific pit attack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBFb-hGWZqg Breaking-up pit attacks is dangerous 1/3 end up attacking the person that's breaking up the fight.http://dogbitelaw.com/dangerous-vicious-dogs/a-propensity-to-attack-other-dogs-means-a-dog-is-dangerous-to-people.html

According to Pit Bull Rescue Central, "It is a FACT that our pit bulls, AmStaffs and pit mixes come with a built-in fighting heritage.It doesn’t matter where we get them from, whether it be the pound, a stray we pick up, or a puppy we buy from a breeder. The majority of pit bulls will, at some point in their lives, exhibit some degree of dog-on-dog aggression. This type of animal aggression is completely separate from human-aggression; a well-socialized pit bull is very good-natured with people.Yet, chances are that a "normal" pit bull will not share his affection with other animals.We cannot predict when or where it will happen and we can’t love, train or socialize it out ofthe dog. Pit bulls may not start fights, but they will finish them." http://www.pbrc.net/misc/PBRC_dogpark.pdf"

The Pit Bull Rescue Central recommends ALL pit guardians to have a break stick. FOR ME THIS IS ANOTHER RED FLAG! Does not sound like a safe family pet if you need a breakstick on hand. "Since pit bulls have a strong fighting background, we recommend that pet owners also have a breaking stick as a precaution, even if they don't plan to use it in an illegal context. However, please be discreet. Breaking sticks are not something to brag about and the general pubic might have the wrong impression if you walk around with a stick in your hand. Breaking sticks are not illegal, but they are considered dog fighting paraphernalia in certain states and/or with certain law enforcement agents." http://www.pbrc.net/breaksticks.html This person demonstrates how to use a break stick on a pit-bull: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfMVH4wY5Pg

From Rescue Train "It's a mistake to think the fighting gene can be easily trained or loved out of a pit-bull." http://www.therescuetrain.org/pit_bull_education.php

I appreciate that Pit bull Rescue Central is telling pit-bull guardians not to take their dog to off-leash parks but many pit guardians are still very ignorant to this recommendation. What is bewildering to me is that Pit Bull Rescue Central admits that other beloved dogs in the community are not safe around pit-bulls because of their genetic makeup but promotes them as a great family pet. For me this is a red flag that you are compromising public safety and the safety of our beloved pets in our communities. Of all the dog breeds, they are the all time number one killer of humans and other people’s beloved pets. If all these guardians would have picked a safer pet like a beagle instead of a pit, we would not even be having this conversation. What other type of dog has the ability to kill humans that would be mistaken for a pit bull type? These families know exactly what breed killed their loved one: http://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-fatalities-2014.php Then these pit-bull advocates are oblivious and offended why people do not want these dogs in the neighborhood. REALLY? Are you really that blind? Do I really have to spell it out for you? Many people in the neighborhood have beloved pets that they consider family members. They are concerned for their pet's safety and they do not want their dog to get mauled to death. Now people in the neighborhood who have pets have to live in fear if this powerful pitbull will get away from the guardian and hurt or kill their beloved pet. Almost all dog guardians have experienced a mishap where their dog gets away from them by mistake.

Many pit-bull breeders who are breeding for human aggression to create guard dogs. Most pit-bulls types come primarily from unethical backyard breeders who are trying to breed aggression, not good temperaments. Often, their dogs are the product of reject pits purchased from dog fighters as cheap stock. So with the pool of pit bulls we have, you cannot tell the difference between a cold one and one that might snap. (unprovoked aggression). So basically people who have pits are playing Russian Roulette against our communities. Here is a clip of unethical pit-bull breeders. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiZOj9o6jpE

There is no such thing as a responsible pit bull owner. Just owning any pit bull, no matter how you treat them, is a danger to your family and community. They are bred for fighting and that is what they do, just like a sheep-herding dog will herd animals. This is just one more excellent reason to ban pit bulls nationwide and be done with this nasty breed. Plenty of great dogs of other breeds that don't go around killing people and animals.

If some criminal comes into your backyard in the middle of the night, which type of dog would your want sinking its teeth into the thug before he tries to bust through the back door?

I'm not sure there is such a thing as a "safe" pet breed when the owners are irresponsible. Just like there is no such thing as a safe child when the parents are irresponsible. Now, some people, and some dogs, give people a bigger margin for error, but shouldn't we put a bigger onus on people being responsible rather than trying to take things away from them AFTER they've demonstrated (tragically) their irresponsibility?

Most of the arguments I hear about banning pit bulls sound a lot like the arguments for banning hot rods, hand guns, and motorcycles. I don't think that denying things for responsible people is the answer for the damage done by irresponsible people. Those irresponsible people will find ways to make tiddly-winks dangerous.

I don't think you fix stupid by restricting smart and responsible people.

my neighbors Golden retriever 'ripped off' my other neighbors little girls face, she was 5, was just giving the dog a hug. This was a neglected dog, left chained out back, barked ALL DAY LONG, no food, no water. So, its not a BREED thing....

I'd suggest that if you have dogs that could potentially cause harm to people that don't need harm done to them, then you should make sure to take precautions to be sure those children can't get in, or that your dogs can't get out.

The problem with comparing pit bulls to hot rods, hand guns and motorcycles is that none of the later have a mind of their own. Pretty sure you do not have to worry about your hot rod or motorcycle getting out of the yard and running over the neighbor's flowers. Pretty sure you do not have to worry that your gun gets out of the house while you are gone and goes next door and rips the 3 year old to pieces.

Then, I guess you're on Emerald White's side. All the blame goes to the Pit Bulls. No responsibility to control what can't be controlled, I guess.

Can I suggest she get the million bucks from you, rather than the Baker family? Certainly, it's not the Baker Family's fault if it's the dogs' fault. And, if Emerald White was damaged a million dollars by no fault of hers, then I guess she should be compensated.

This law suit is supreme pit bully owner behavior. Most pit owners don't go quite this far, as they just expect their neighbors to accept their non-bully dog's dismemberment and death but do not due the victim owners.

No pit book offers any advice on training pits to hunt for and kill their own kind. No advice is needed as good pits mature to feel their instincts to kill dogs. The books by Stratton and Colby simply say to wait until your pit is 18 to 24 months of age to "start" him; that just means that's the age when you LET them fight.

The pits you know may not be good pits, yet, but because good pits do not try to avoid an attack, and therefore do not give warning before attacking, you won't know that your pit's becoming a good pit until it happens.

This lawsuit is one more reason why it should become law that all pits be sterilized at the least, or breed bans should be acted. We are all at risk of pit bulls and their sociopathic owners.

If the irresponsible people hadn't been careless with their fence repairs, how many of those dogs would have broken in?

If you're careless with your cars, guns, motorcycles, children, dogs, or tiddly-winks, someone's bound to get hurt, or even killed.

Pit bulls aren't the only dog breed that can break through a poorly maintained fence. Regardless of what breed of dog you have, and especially if you have 4 of them and they pack together, if they break into another yard, they are very likely to do damage, and you are responsible for whatever damage they cause.

The root-cause of this attack was Irresponsible Humans. Misbehaving Dogs was major contributor, but the potential of those dogs would have been negated had the Humans been responsible.

Certainly, someone irresponsible with chihuahua's isn't likely to be subject to the same amount of liability as someone irresponsible with pit bulls, just like someone irresponsible with an AK-47 is probably going to do more damage than someone behaving irresponsibly with a bb gun.

you're an idiot, it the owners of the pits fault. Mr. Baker, SUE the living crap out of Emerald White , or counter sue. I am shocked that a judge even looked at and allowed this to be filed!!!! Should have thrown it out!!! this is insane.

I had a dog once that busted a wood box that was in excellent condition trying to get to a skunk....a rocweiler.....Pit bull can break through good fences as weil as bad...just a little quicker....both owners are responsible for the fence.....and in this case the Beagle owner had lived there a month....if a fence in my year needed replacing generally I just had it done...don't get complaints when lousy neighbors don't have to pay...

I had a 'Staffordshire terrier' did the same thing, would take off after other dogs, run them down. just a matter of time before he tore one up. This dog would be SO focused and determined to go after another dog, it could climb chainlink fence to get out!!! this dog was only given love and a home from the start!!! since it was a pup!! so tell me again how this aggressive behavior is taught to these dogs? IT IS INSTINCT for them, and its worse when you add one or more of these killers to make a pack!!!

If you look at the pictures you can see where the dogs chewed through the fence .Thankfully the children were not in the yard or this could have been even more tragic .Please Steve Baker on behalf of Bailey who gave her life in vain defending herself against impossible odds sue this woman & file a complaint against her lawyer with the American Bar Association for filing a frivolous lawsuit .To those reading I suggest you google White’s attorney, Paul LaValle .

Simply put, border collies do not herd sheep because they are raised on sheep farms; rather, they are raised on sheep farms because they herd. In addition pointers point, retrievers retrieve, and mastiffs guard, all because those traits are part of their breed expectations, meaning strong and continuous selection in the underlying breeding program "

Simply put Pit bulls do not attack because they are raised with dog fighters and drug dealers, dog fighters and drug dealers use pit bulls because they attack!

It is their nature, their genetic truth and reality.!!

It is not how you raise them rather it is simply what they are.!!

Just like sled dogs run and pull, it is just their nature.!

A pit bull type dog is what it is and does what it is.You can no more alter it genetic makeup then you can a collies to herd, a hounds to track, a retriever's to retrieve, a labs to swim, a pointers to point, a sled dog to run and pull.

They do what they are and a pit bull type dog is a mauling violent killer that has been bred to be a land shark, nothing you do can change that, even if you have them from birth.

No matter if you love them, or how you nurture, train, rehabilitate, raise them optimally as normal dogs from birth, you can not change their Genetic reality to Kill, Maul, Maim, Disfigure, Dismember, cause Life Flights or trips to the Intensive Care Unit.

For over 600 years the current pit bull type dog was brought into being through careful selective genetic breeding to create the most violent murderous fighting dog possible

In July 2010, Police Chief Jim Clark said there had been no recorded pit bull attacks since the city's 2003 pit bull ban. Between 1989 and 2003, the city had a pit bull ordinance, but still allowed pit bulls as "guard" dogs."Police Chief Jim Clark says since the ban, there have been no recorded attacks by the animals.

"We haven't had any attacks since then for one thing because it is illegal," said Clark. "Most people are keeping their dogs inside their house or inside their basement and not letting them out loose so therefore they're not around other people to attack them."

"In the two-and-a-half years before the 2003 ban, Ottumwa police recorded 18 pit bull attacks, including the death of 21-month-old Charlee Shepherd in August 2002. There were at least three other attacks on children during this time."************************************************************Little Rock, ArkansasPopulation 189,515

When the City of Indianapolis was discussing a pit bull sterilization law in April 2009, Little Rock Animal Services Director Tracy Roark spoke about Little Rock's successful 2008 pit bull ordinance:

"There was a day when you could walk down any street in center city Little Rock, you could see several pit bulls chained up. You don't see that anymore," said Tracy Roark with Little Rock Animal Services.

Roark told Eyewitness News over the phone that pit bull attacks have been cut in half and credits their new law with getting them there."This is the most abused dog in the city," said Roark.

The Little Rock law passed last year and requires pit bulls to be sterilized, registered and microchipped. Also dogs - regardless of the breed - are also not allowed to be chained up outside."************************************************************Fort Lupton, ColoradoPopulation 6,787 When the City of Fort Collins was mulling a pit bull law in March 2009, Fort Lupton's Police Chief spoke about Fort Lupton's successful 2003 pit bull ban, including zero pit bull biting incidents since the law's adoption:

"Fort Lupton Police Chief Ron Grannis said the city hasn’t had a pit bull bite since the ban was enacted, but it still has the occasional pit bull that is picked up and taken away.

Although he said the ban has not been well-received by every resident, he thinks it was the right decision for the city.

"I believe it makes the community safer,” he said. “That’s my personal opinion. Pit bulls are not the kind of dogs most people should have. They are too unpredictable. ... These dogs have been bred for thousands of years to be fighters.

You can’t take it out of them. A lion cub may be friendly for a while, but one day it can take your head off."************************************************************Reading, PennsylvaniaPopulation 80,560

After an 8-year legal battle, pit bull advocates dismantled a pit bull law adopted by Reading in 1998. It was reported in the same news article, in February 2008, that the law had significantly reduced biting incidents:

"Reading's 1998 law required that aggressive or dangerous dogs, when outside the home, be muzzled and kept on a leash shorter than three feet long with a minimum tensile strength of 300 pounds.

The law also punished violators with fines of up to $1,000 or 30 days in jail.The law is credited with helping to reduce dog bites from 130 in 1999 to 33 in 2006. As a result, the law - or at least elements of it - were not being actively enforced, the Reading Eagle reported last year.

Also in March, Aurora released statistical data showing a significant reduction in the volume of pit bull attacks and pit bulls euthanized after adopting a pit bull ban in 2005.

"Since the ban has been in place, bites are down 73 percent from pit bulls," said Cheryl Conway, a spokeswoman for the city’s animal care division.She described various problems the city encountered before enacting the ban in 2005 that included irresponsible owners letting the dogs run at large, and owners using pit bulls to taunt pedestrians.

She added that the dogs placed a tremendous burden on city staff. According to city documents, before the ordinance was enacted in 2005, up to 70 percent of kennels in the Aurora Animal Shelter were occupied by pit bulls with pending court disposition dates or with no known owner. That number is now only 10 to 20 percent of kennels.

"There hasn’t been a human mauling in many years. Complaints and requests related to pit bulls are down 50 percent. Euthanasia of pit bull dogs is down 93 percent. Of those few that are put down, they are primarily those that come in as strays and their owners don’t come to claim them," she said.************************************************************Omaha, NebraskaPopulation 415,068

After the City of Omaha adopted a pit bull law in 2008, Mark Langan of the Nebraska Humane Society, who opposed the law, said in September 2009 that pit bull biting incidents were down 35% since its adoption:

"Despite the attack of Haynes, The Humane Society's Mark Langan says pitbull bites are down since new laws went into effect last year. Langan says so far this year 54 bites have been reported compared to 83 last year."

In September 2010, the Nebraska Humane Society provided bite statistical data to city council members and an evaluation of the effectiveness of the pit bull ordinance adopted by the City of Omaha in late 2008.

"It is the position of the Nebraska Human Society that this ordinance has been effective in reducing bites involving dogs defined as "Pit Bulls" in the ordinance."

Judy Varner, President and CEO, Nebraska Human SocietyVarner's attached statistical data shows that bites by pit bulls dropped 40% after one year of the adoption of the ordinance, 121 bites in 2008 down to 73 bites in 2009. The bite rate dropped even further in 2010.

In November 2012, Saginaw reported a reduction in dog attacks eighteen months after enacting a "Light" BSL ordinance1 requiring owners of the top 5 dangerous dog breeds2 to comply with new regulations.

Eighteen months after Saginaw created its dangerous dog ordinance, put into effect in June 2011, Saginaw City Chief Inspector John Stemple said it has helped to lower the amount of dog attacks in the city.

"It was the government reacting to a problem," Stemple said. "And if you look at the numbers, it's been very effective."

The ordinance requires residents to register dogs whose breeds are deemed "dangerous" at the City Clerk's office, post a "Dog on premises" sign in the front of their homes and when outdoors, keep their animals either on a leash or within a 4-foot-high fenced area or kennel.

The breeds included in the ordinance are pit bulls, presa canario, bull mastiffs, rottweilers and German shepherds.

Stemple said he has heard from employees at Consumers Energy and the U.S. Postal Service that the signs and tethering rules have made their work safer. The number of reported dog bites fell in 2011 to nine, from 24 in 2009.

In North America, from 1982-2013, Pit Bull breeds and mixes have seriously attacked 2,990 humans that resulted in 1,777 maimings and 275 deaths.

The bullmastiff is a Pit bull type dog with the same genetic makeup and danger of a pit bull.

The Bullmastiff was a cross of 40% Old English Bulldog or pit bull type dog and 60% English Mastiff

In North America, from 1982-2013, Bullmastiffs have been responsible for 105 serious attacks on humans, resulting in 61 maimings and 15 deaths.In North America from 1982-2013, Rottweilers were responsible for 514 attacks on humans, resulting in 81 deaths.

Rottweiler mixes were responsible for 30 attacks on humans, resulting in 4 deaths********************************************************************************The following is a list of the top 10 dog breeds involved in dog attacks in the U.S. and Canada involving humans from September 1982 to December 31, 2013, based on a larger table compiled by Merritt Clifton, former editor of Animal People, an animal rights charity/news group. Clifton now is the editor of Animals 24-7.

A Bullmastiff is considered a pit bull type dog and a pit bull mix between a pit bull and a mastiff and is 40% pit bull.

The report states that the numbers are compiled from press accounts dating to 1982. It only includes attacks by dogs of clearly identified breed type or ancestry, as designated by animal control officers or others with evident expertise, which have been kept as pets.

All accounts are cross-checked by date, location and identity of the victim, according to the report.Attacks by police dogs, guard dogs and dogs trained specifically to fight are not included in the report.********************************************************************************About 31,400 dogs attacked about 61,500 other animals in the U.S. in 2013, killing 43,500 and seriously injuring 18,100.

Pit bulls inflicted 99% of the total fatal attacks on other animals (43,000); 96% of the fatal attacks on other dogs (11,520); 95% of the fatal attacks on livestock (5,700) and on small mammals and poultry (16,150); and 94% of the fatal attacks on cats (11,280).

About 30,000 pit bulls were involved in attacks on other animals, many of them killing multiple other animals.There are about 3.2 million pit bulls in the U.S. at any given time, according to the annual Animal24-7 surveys of dogs offered for sale or adoption via online classified ads.

Thus in 2013 about one pit bull in 107 killed or seriously injured another animal, compared with about one dog in 50,000 of other breeds.Nationally, fatal and disfiguring attacks by dogs from shelters and rescues have exploded from zero in the first 90 years of the 20th century to 80 since 2010, including 58 by pit bulls, along with 22 fatal & disfiguring attacks by other shelter dogs, mostly Rottweilers & bull mastiffs.

Altogether, 33 U.S. shelter dogs have participated in killing people since 2010, including 24 pit bulls, seven bull mastiffs, and two Rottweilers.The only dogs rehomed from U.S. shelters to kill anyone before 2000 were two wolf hybrids, rehomed in 1988 and 1989, respectively.********************************************************************************Dog Attack Deaths and Maimings, U.S. & Canada, September 1982 to May.25, 2013.By compiling U.S. and Canadian press accounts between 1982 and 2013, Merritt Clifton, editor of Animal People, shows the breeds most responsible for serious injury and death.

Study highlightsPit bull type dogs make up only 6% of all dogs in the USA.The combination of Pit Bulls, rottweilers, their close mixes and wolf hybrids and other Pit Bull Type Dogs:

84% of attacks that induce bodily harm.

75% of attacks to children.

87% of attack to adults.

72% of attacks that result in fatalities.

80% that result in maiming********************************************************************************Merritt Clifton Editor Of Animals24-7:I have logged fatal & disfiguring dog attacks in the U.S. and Canada since September 1982.

Of the 5,061 dogs involved in fatal and disfiguring attacks on humans occurring in the U.S. & Canada since September 1982, when I began logging the data, 3,507 (68%) were pit bulls; 557 were Rottweilers; 4,343 (85%) were of related molosser breeds, including pit bulls, Rottweilers, mastiffs, bull mastiffs, boxers, and their mixes.

Of the 571 human fatalities, 303 were killed by pit bulls; 87 were killed by Rottweilers; 436 (75%) were killed by molosser breeds.Of the 3,079 people who were disfigured, 2,159 (68%) were disfigured by pit bulls; 328 were disfigured by Rottweilers; 2,639 (84%) were disfigured by molosser breeds.

Pit bulls--exclusive of their use in dogfighting--also inflict more than 70 times as many fatal and disfiguring injuries on other pets and livestock as on humans, a pattern unique to the pit bull class.

Fatal and disfiguring attacks by dogs from shelters and rescues have exploded from zero in the first 90 years of the 20th century to 80 in the past four years, including 58 by pit bulls, along with 22 fatal & disfiguring attacks by other shelter dogs, mostly Rottweilers & bull mastiffs.

The only dogs rehomed from U.S. shelters to kill anyone, ever, before 2000 were two wolf hybrids in 1988 and 1989. 33 U.S. shelter dogs & one U.K. shelter dog have participated in killing people since 2010, including 24 pit bulls, seven bull mastiffs, and two Rottweilers.

Surveys of dogs offered for sale or adoption indicate that pit bulls and pit mixes are less than 7% of the U.S. dog population; molosser breeds, all combined, are 9%.

"There is no direct eye contact or very little direct eye contact. It is very quick and over with. Which is one reason why with pit bulls and rottweilers, we have problems. Because they're bred to do direct eye contact and so they are off putting to other dogs and actually scary to other dogs."

The fourth undesirable characteristic - arousal or excitement - is actually the most problematic. Many bully dogs cannot seem to calm themselves down once they get excited. And once they get excited all their behaviors are exacerbated.

Thus, if a dog is over-confident and has a tendency to body slam or mount, he or she will really crash into the other dog or person when he's aroused, sometimes inadvertently causing injury. He may begin to play-bite, and then bite harder and harder and harder.

When you try to stop the behavior, the dog often becomes even more "aggressive." In this way, play can turn into aggression fairly quickly. Research on the brain has shown that excited play has exactly the same chemistry as extreme anger. This allows a play behavior to switch quickly into aggression. And, once the dog has become aggressive a few times, the switch is much easier.HORSWELL BB, CHAHINE CJ, oral surgeons

Dog bites of the facial region are increasing in children according to the Center for Disease Control. To evaluate the epidemiology of such injuries in our medical provider region, we undertook a retrospective review of those children treated for facial, head and neck dog bite wounds at a level 1 trauma center.

Most dog bites occurred in or near the home by an animal known to the child/family. Most injuries were soft tissue related, however more severe bites and injuries were observed in attacks from the pit-bull and Rottweiler breeds.

Younger (under five years) children sustained more of the injuries requiring medical treatment. Injury Severity Scales were determined as well as victim and payer mix demographics, type and characteristics of injury, and complications from the attack.

DR RICHARD SATTIN, chief of unintentional-injuries section of the Centers of Disease Control

We're trying to focus public attention on this greatly underestimated public hazard.

In 1979, pit bulls accounted for 20 percent of fatal attacks by dogs. That figure had risen to 62 percent by 1988.

Nobody knows the dog population of the United States or the exact breakdown by breed. We do not believe that pit bulls represent anywhere near 42% percent of dogs in the United States. Therefore, we believe that the pit bull excess in deaths is real and growing.

ROBERT D. NEWMAN, M.D.

As a pediatrician I was disturbed to read Vicki Hearne's assertion that there are no bad breeds, just bad dogs (Op-Ed, April 15). There is ample evidence to suggest that certain breeds of dogs are more dangerous to children than others.

From 1979 to 1994, there were 177 known dog-bite-related fatalities in the United States. Of these fatalities, 66 percent were caused by five breeds: pit bull, Rottweiler, shepherd, husky and malamute.

If you include crosses among these five breeds, that number rises to 82 percent. Other breeds, like Labrador retrievers and golden retrievers were not implicated in a single fatality during this same period.

I laud the American Kennel Club's attempt to include information about dog breeds considered ''not good with children'' in the coming edition of ''The Complete Dog Book,'' and lament the fact that the book is being recalled at the request of some breeders.

Pit bull attacks are typically the most severe, and in about one-third of all attacks, the animals are family pets or belong to close friends.

That should be the message, that these dogs should not be around children, adults are just as likely to be victims.

Everyone should be extremely cautious.

DR. MICHAEL FEALY

When a Pit Bull is involved the bites are worse. When they bite, they bite and lock and they don't let go... they bite lock and they rip and they don't let go.

DR. CHRISTOPHER DEMAS

Bites from pit bulls inflict much more damage, multiple deep bites and ripping of flesh and are unlike any other domestic animal I've encountered. Their bites are devastating - close to what a wildcat or shark would do.

DR. AMY WANDEL, plastic surgeon

I see just as many dog bites from dogs that are not pit bulls as bites from pit bulls. The big difference is pit bulls are known to grab onto something and keep holding so their damage they create is worse than other breeds.

DR. PATRICK BYRNE, Johns Hopkins Hospital

I can't think of a single injury of this nature that was incurred by any other species other than a pit bull or a rottweiler.

ANDREW FENTON, M.D.

As a practicing emergency physician, I have witnessed countless dog bites. Invariably, the most vicious and brutal attacks I have seen have been from the pit bull breed.

Many of the victims have been children. In a recent study from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, pit bull attacks accounted for more ER visits than all other breeds combined.

In young children, the most common part of the body injured was the face. Numerous studies have proven that the number-one cause of dog bite fatalities is the pit bull breed.

I am certain that many attacks are due to owner negligence, but the fact remains that many were unpredictable and were perpetrated by formerly "loving and loyal" pets.

Dr. Chagnon has every right to leave our town as she claims she will if pit bulls are banned, just like every one of her patients has the right not to attend her clinic where she brings her pit bulls.

I applaud Mayor Pro Tem Joanne Sanders for bringing this issue to the forefront. In the interest of public safety, I recommend we enforce a spay/neuter requirement on pit bulls while reviewing and revamping all of our policies relating to animal bites.

But there’s another root cause of the rise in pit-bull attacks, one you might not think of: Hurricane Katrina.

Pit bulls are especially popular in Louisiana and Mississippi, and many of the volunteers responding to Hurricane Katrina found themselves saving stranded dogs. Most of the pit bulls they saved had been kept inside and behaved well around the rescuers, Clifton said, because they knew their survival depended on it. The dogs who were rescued were good pit bulls, he says, and “the real badasses, the ones chained outside, were drowned.”

Clifton said that many of the volunteers, who had very little experience with dog rescue, became attached to the breed and involved in pit bull advocacy. And that helped galvanize the pro-pit bull movement in the wake of Michael Vick’s 2007 dog-fighting scandal. That movement helped encourage more people to adopt pit bulls as lack of sterilization caused the population to grow.

“If you need a marker in your head for when pit bulls got out of control, it’s 2007 with Michael Vick,” Lynn says. Vick’s high-profile trial for dogfighting and cruelty to animals roused a growing sympathy for pit-bulls, which led more people to adopt them and bring them into their homes.

Dogbites dot org“We need to get used to mauling injuries, because we’re going to be seeing a lot more of them.” warns Lynn. “Each of us will know a mauled, disfigured child by a known dangerous breed of dog. There will be one in every school.”

But what can be done about the growing number of pit bulls? Some say that the best solution would be breed-specific sterilization, which would curb the pit bull population and reduce euthanizations in shelters. Most dogs of all breeds are spayed and neutered– about 80%, by Clifton’s estimation. But only 20% of pit bulls are sterilized, partly because the population that owns pit bulls tends to resist the spay-neuter message. He notes that there are a number of free sterilization programs for pit bulls, including one run by the ASPCA, but that even the largest programs aren’t sterilizing enough pit bulls to reduce the number of shelter intakes.

Lynn agrees that breed-specific sterilization laws are the most humane and efficient way to deal with the situation and avoid having more dogs euthanized. “If you want to hit that ‘no-kill’ status, you better do something about the pit bull problem.” Pit bulls currently account for 63% of the dogs put down in shelters, but only 38% of the admissions. Lynn says that all pit bulls should be sterilized, except those that come from licensed breeders.

Even PETA, the largest animal rights organization in the world, supports breed-specific sterilization for pit bulls. “Pit bulls are a breed-specific problem, so it seems reasonable to target them,” said Daphna Nachminovitch, PETA’s Senior Vice President of Cruelty Investigations. “The public is misled to believe that pit bulls are like any other dog. And they just aren’t.” Even the ASPCA acknowledges on their website that pit bulls are genetically different than other dogs. “Pit bulls have been bred to behave differently during a fight,” they say. “They may not give warning before becoming aggressive, and they’re less likely to back down when clashing with an opponent.”

Opponents of sterilization argue that it can be difficult to determine which dogs are pit bulls, and that breed-specific efforts are unfair to certain dogs. “When you discriminate against a breed, you’re also discriminating against good dogs as well,” Enos said. Setter of Pit Bull Rescue Central opposes breed-specific sterilization because she says it’s ineffective, because the laws don’t target irresponsible owners.

But Nachminovitch said that PETA stands by breed-specific sterilization as a common-sense solution to what has become a human safety issue. “These dogs were bred to bait bulls. They were bred to fight each other to the death,” she said. “Just because we’re an animal rights organization doesn’t mean we’re not concerned about public safety.”

But there’s another root cause of the rise in pit-bull attacks, one you might not think of: Hurricane Katrina.

Pit bulls are especially popular in Louisiana and Mississippi, and many of the volunteers responding to Hurricane Katrina found themselves saving stranded dogs. Most of the pit bulls they saved had been kept inside and behaved well around the rescuers, Clifton said, because they knew their survival depended on it. The dogs who were rescued were good pit bulls, he says, and “the real badasses, the ones chained outside, were drowned.”

Clifton said that many of the volunteers, who had very little experience with dog rescue, became attached to the breed and involved in pit bull advocacy. And that helped galvanize the pro-pit bull movement in the wake of Michael Vick’s 2007 dog-fighting scandal. That movement helped encourage more people to adopt pit bulls as lack of sterilization caused the population to grow.

“If you need a marker in your head for when pit bulls got out of control, it’s 2007 with Michael Vick,” Lynn says. Vick’s high-profile trial for dogfighting and cruelty to animals roused a growing sympathy for pit-bulls, which led more people to adopt them and bring them into their homes.

Dogbites dot org“We need to get used to mauling injuries, because we’re going to be seeing a lot more of them.” warns Lynn. “Each of us will know a mauled, disfigured child by a known dangerous breed of dog. There will be one in every school.”

But what can be done about the growing number of pit bulls? Some say that the best solution would be breed-specific sterilization, which would curb the pit bull population and reduce euthanizations in shelters. Most dogs of all breeds are spayed and neutered– about 80%, by Clifton’s estimation. But only 20% of pit bulls are sterilized, partly because the population that owns pit bulls tends to resist the spay-neuter message. He notes that there are a number of free sterilization programs for pit bulls, including one run by the ASPCA, but that even the largest programs aren’t sterilizing enough pit bulls to reduce the number of shelter intakes.

Lynn agrees that breed-specific sterilization laws are the most humane and efficient way to deal with the situation and avoid having more dogs euthanized. “If you want to hit that ‘no-kill’ status, you better do something about the pit bull problem.” Pit bulls currently account for 63% of the dogs put down in shelters, but only 38% of the admissions. Lynn says that all pit bulls should be sterilized, except those that come from licensed breeders.

Even PETA, the largest animal rights organization in the world, supports breed-specific sterilization for pit bulls. “Pit bulls are a breed-specific problem, so it seems reasonable to target them,” said Daphna Nachminovitch, PETA’s Senior Vice President of Cruelty Investigations. “The public is misled to believe that pit bulls are like any other dog. And they just aren’t.” Even the ASPCA acknowledges on their website that pit bulls are genetically different than other dogs. “Pit bulls have been bred to behave differently during a fight,” they say. “They may not give warning before becoming aggressive, and they’re less likely to back down when clashing with an opponent.”

Opponents of sterilization argue that it can be difficult to determine which dogs are pit bulls, and that breed-specific efforts are unfair to certain dogs. “When you discriminate against a breed, you’re also discriminating against good dogs as well,” Enos said. Setter of Pit Bull Rescue Central opposes breed-specific sterilization because she says it’s ineffective, because the laws don’t target irresponsible owners.

But Nachminovitch said that PETA stands by breed-specific sterilization as a common-sense solution to what has become a human safety issue. “These dogs were bred to bait bulls. They were bred to fight each other to the death,” she said. “Just because we’re an animal rights organization doesn’t mean we’re not concerned about public safety.”

Don't forget to attend our 'Million T-Rex March' on The White House. President Obama loves T-Rex's and he thinks everyone should own one. Except him.

Its not an attack if the T-rex is wagging its tail.

There no bad T-rex's...only bad owners.

I've seen chihuahuas more aggressive than my T-Rex.

*giggles*

TSL has been proven not to work in Denver

Best babysitters ever....NOT

MY T-rex is the sweetest dino ever.

T.Rex's make the BEST Therapy Dinos ever. And are wonderful as Guide-Dinos for The Blind.

velociraptors bite more than T-rex's.

Let's set up a T-rex kissing booth for our kids.

Let's bring a T-rex into school and let the children read books to a perfectly trained T-rex

Let's bring our T-rex to the walk for the victims of T-rex's in Houston to show them they don't have to be afraid of T-rex's

T-rexBite dot org

Hey now...educate yourself guys.

My T-Rex likes coconuts!

you're all just racist against T-Rex's!!!

please leave t~Rex's alone my family had bred them for years and the only time i was bitten was by a pibble.

educate yourself you hater,I hope get mauled by a chihuahua.

t-rex make the best nanny dinosaur, its all how they are raised don't you know.

I will be posting this at the dinosaurs love kids and kids love dinosaurs.

don't you know the famous dinosaur barney?

president roosevelt had a dinosaur and fred flintstone.

helen keller had 25 of them.

wiggle tails?

educate yourself its haters like you that give dinosaurs a bad name.

come over to my house and meet my t-rex

awww you really hurted my feelings, Im going to go eat worms!!

My brontosaurus bites and my T-Rex never does. In fact the T-Rex is scared of him!

T-rex only bite if they're trained to

my vet says t-rex is the only dinosaur that doesn't bite

I have 8 t-rex and I'm a vet tech

I'am a vet tech too and i have a therapy dinosaur, it reads to kids at schools

64 kids crawl all over my t-rex, and he's never shown aggression

Get the FACTS!!!

there's no such thing as a t-rex

people are so quick to label anything 20 ft tall with a 5 foot neck and muscular as a so called "t-rex"

all dinosaurs have teeth

Their are over 30 types of dinosaur mistaken for a T-Rex, not only that, their is a media conspiracy against them. T-Rex attack stories sell.

My T-Rex saved my life; he roared at a bit of smoke &amp; we evacuated the house. Last week I read that a T-Rex killed a child; that is SO rubbish - there is no such thing as a T-Rex! Get educated! I'm so done with this - I'm going to feed my T... I mean my Giant Lizard. Goodbye!

t-rex aren't real. nothing is real.

omg u ppl r so ignorent!!!!!!! i had a terradactle an that little basturd was way meaner than my t-rex!!!!!! only ppl who fight t-rexes make them mean an bite so dont judge the hole bread just cuz a few buttwipes train there dinos to attack i raise my t-rex with love an he kisses us all the time!!!!!! U PPL R RACIST AN U MAKE ME SICK!!!

t-rex built this great nation

ROTFLMAO!

You haters only have 153 likes. Our T-Rex breeders club has 4000! TAKE THAT, HATERS!!!

It's a nannysaurus!

Parents need to teach their brats proper kindness and respect around t-rex. ANY dinosaur has it's breaking point when TERRIFIED!!

Good news, T - Rex went extinct and no longer prey on communities.

T-Rex's are as safe as any other dinosaur. You guys are just racist.

more kids are injured falling down, so what are we going to ban falling down next?!!!

My T-Rex smiles at me every time I walk in the door. He even lets my two year old ride his tail. Was this T- Rex neutered??? This wouldn't happen if he was. Do not spew your hate towards MY T-Rex! Responsible T-Rex ownership 101. WE ARE WINNING. OUR T-REX'S ARE WINNING. SUCK IT HATERS

My T-rex pulled a baby from a burning building. He is the best nanny t rex god ever made. He wouldnt hurt a fly.

My T - Rex is an ambassador for the breed. He passed his T - Rex Good Citizenship test performed by my best friend and passed with flying colors. I bring him to dog parks and he is a perfect angel. He even loves cats!

my t-rex is gorgeous and sweet but would defend me to the bitter end

It isn't my T-Rex you need to worry about; it's ME. They might have culled the man-biters out of HIS lizard-lineage, but they let them live in MY ancestors! Grrrrr!

sorry to have to report this but

my T-rex just killed my Dino dog, it had always been sweet and had never bit anyone before.

The -Rex will be going to the flintstone dinosaur rescue farm for unstable dinasaur's

My t-rex is tattooed on my *#@!

omg did you vagazzle it too!?

My T Rex lets my 5 year old put press on nails on him.

My t rex only wants to love and kiss you all over . Lmbo

see you later i am off to see the T-rex fights tonight.

The owners need to wash the T-rex's before the fight so that proves they are safe? right???

T Rex's are not fighting dinosaurs!!!!!! Please educate yourself about the bread!

blame the deed not the bread

my great grandaddy JP Colby bred game T-rex in the 1920's

all your fat over weight pigs have nothing on a real all american game bred T-rex.

There was concern among dog authorities about American pitbulls being allowed into New Zealand as they were dangerous, unpredictable animals, Mr Coutts said.

"A lot of people in this town get them because they are a staunch dog and they will fight. They are perceived as vicious ... It's frustrating they were ever allowed in the country ... we can't go back now though," Mr Coutts said.

COUTTS' comment on a pit car mauling

This sort of thing happens when people own this breed of dog and then don't look after them.

VICTORIA STILWELL, celebrity dog trainer

Presas are not to be fooled with, they're dangerous. You've got a fighting breed here. You've got a dog that was bred for fighting. You've got one of the most difficult breeds to handle.

CESAR MILAN, celebrity dog trainer

"Yeah, but this is a different breed...the power that comes behind bull dog, pit bull, presa canario, the fighting breed - They have an extra boost, they can go into a zone, they don't feel the pain anymore. He is using the bulldog in him, which is way too powerful, so we have to 'make him dog' (I guess as in a "regular" dog) so we can actually create the limits.

So if you are trying to create submission in a fighting breed, it's not going to happen. They would rather die than surrender.". If you add pain, it only infuriates them..to them pain is that adrenaline rush, they are looking forward to that, they are addicted to it...

That's why they are such great fighters." Cesar goes on to say..."Especially with fighting breeds, you're going to have these explosions over and over because there's no limits in their brain."

GARRETT RUSSO, dog trainer

I estimate Medical & Veterinary bills related to injuries caused by pit bulls in the Tompkins Square dog run in 2011, $140,000.00. Estimated Medical (human) & Veterinary (canine) bills from all other breeds and mixed breeds combined during the same period, $5,000.00. (Estimate gathered from reports to by owners to the dog park association.)

STEVE DUNO, dog trainer, pit bull owner

"The dogs that participated in these attacks weren't Pekingese. You don't have herds of Pekingese roaming the city attacking people. When someone says all breeds are created equal, well then they're denying the definition of what a breed is. Breed serves a particular purpose."

"I like them. They're eager. They're athletic. They're aesthetically pleasing. But even if they're bred perfectly, they can be problematic, particularly with other dogs."

"When you combine the breed specific behaviors ... with owners who either don't give a rip, or with owners who (have) too much dog, you have a problem."

JEAN DONALDSON, dog trainer

Most commonly, she sees dogs with aggression problems. While she's a fierce opponent of "breed bans" like the proposed outlawing of pit bulls that San Francisco debated two years ago, she believes it's undeniable that some breeds are predisposed to violence.

Many breeds that were bred as guardians or fighting dogs were carefully designed to not like strangers, she says. She thinks it's disingenuous of breeders to further enhance this trait, and then expect owners to compensate with training.

ARLENE STERLING, Newaygo County, MI Chief Animal Control Officer

"It is genetically inbred in them to be aggressive. They can be very nice dogs, but they are very prey driven and they are extremely strong. It makes them high risk dogs and it makes them extremely dangerous."

BOB KERRIDGE, New Zealand SPCA executive director

"That is the only real way to solve this problem - is to license owners and to give them the responsibility that goes with owning a dog. It would be extremely useful when you have a neighbour who is concerned about that dog next door. You can look at it and see they don't have a license and take it away. That's owner responsibility."

"We led the charge to stop the importation of the pitbull because of the concerns they would be crossbred with other dogs... But there's not a lot we can do about that because it's happened. We wish someone had listened all those years ago."

JIM CROSBY, pit bull hired gun

"Line breeding tends to concentrate recessive traits. The propensity for violent attacks by a dog would be a recessive trait."

MELANIE PFEIFFER, veterinary assistant

Working in a veterinary hospital, you are exposed to all kinds of animal trauma. One of the more common ones is dog fights. I can honestly say that in three out of four cases, an American pit bull terrier is involved. Many times, we are able to save the life of the afflicted, but yesterday, we were not.

I propose that all owned American pit bull terriers be registered and all breeding be halted indefinitely. How many mutilated faces, mangled limbs, butchered pets and even human deaths does it take to convince us that this breed needs to be phased out?

DIANE JESSUP, Washington pit bull owner and expert

"It's not sensible to get an animal bred for bringing a 2,000-pound bull to its knees and say I'm going to treat this like a soft-mouth Labrador," says Jessup, the former animal-control officer. She blames novice owners, as much as actual criminals, for bringing the breed into disrepute. "It's a capable animal, and it's got to be treated as such."

JOHN ROCKHOLT, South Carolina dogman

"It's inhumane not to allow them to fight. If you have to encourage them to fight they are not worth the powder it would take to blow them away. To never allow them any kind of combat...That's inhumane."

RAY BROWN, former pit bull owner, breeder, dog fighter

Pit bulls didn't become dangerous because we fight them; we fight them because the English specifically bred them to be dangerous.

MARK PAULHUS, HSUS southeast regional coordinator

If it chooses to attack, it's the most ferocious of all dogs. I've never known of a pit bull that could be called off (during a fight). They lose themselves in the fight.

F.L. DANTZLER, HSUS director of field services

"They're borderline dogs. They're right on the edge all of the time. Even if the dogs are not trained or used for fighting, and even though they are generally good with people, their bloodline makes them prone to violence."

In Calgary, by Bill Bruce's own admission and documentation, pit bulls lead the serious bite count with 13% of the city's serious bites attributable to pit bulls, yet pit bulls account for less than 1% of the city's dogs.

In fact, pit bulls are responsible for nearly as many serious bites (13%) as the ENTIRE sporting breeding category (15%), which includes all of the most popular breeds (Labs, Goldens, Poodles, Spaniels, etc) and houses 70% of Calgary's dogs.

Why aren't these breeds attacking in the face of irresponsible ownership?An example of why leashing and licensing laws don't work to solve the breed-specific problem of pit bulls:

Pitbull supporters always point to Calgary Model as the perfect solution when dealing with dangerous dogs. The city introduced its responsible pet ownership bylaw in 2006.Calgary’s bylaw department emphasizes responsible pet ownership through intensive licensing, hefty fines and owner education.

In Calgary, the largest city in Alberta, “confirmed aggressive dog incidents” and related criminal charges tripled in 2013, and in mid-2014 were up 15% more.

Has their model worked? The statistics from the past four years would indicate a resounding "NO". For the past four years dog bites have risen steadily every year, and over 350% in the past 4 years, from 58 in 2009 to 203 in 2012.

And In 2010 Pit bulls led the 'bite' count. Meanwhile in Toronto, four years after implementing Breed Bans, dog bites were down 32%, from 486 to 329.

Bites in Toronto blamed on the four banned breeds fell sharply, from 71 in 2005 to only six in 2010.Considering these breeds regularly inflict the most serious damage, this is an undeniable win for the citizens of Toronto.

Pit bulls are not only problematic in large cities; they threaten mid-sized cities and small towns as well. Located in the heartland, Council Bluffs, Iowa has about 60,000 citizens.After a series of devastating attacks, beginning in 2003, Council Bluffs joined over 600 U.S. cities and began regulating pit bulls.

The results of the Council Bluffs pit bull ban, which began January 1, 2005, show the positive effects such legislation can have on public safety in just a few years time:1.Council Bluffs: Pit Bull Bite Statistics.

Year Pit Bull Bites % of All Bites. 2004 29 23%. 2005 12 10% (year ban enacted). 2006 6 4%. 2007 2 2%. 2008 0 0%. 2009 0 0%. 2010 1 1%. 2011 0 0%. ******************************************************************* From the CDC (1998 report, page 4):"Despite these limitations and concerns (about identifying the exact ‘breed’ of pit bull type dog responsible for a killing), the data indicate that Rottweilers and pit bull-type dogs accounted for 67% of human DBRF in the United States between 1997 and 1998.It is extremely unlikely that they accounted for anywhere near 60% of dogs in the United States during that same period and, thus, there appears to be a breed-specific problem with fatalities." **************************************************************** In June 2013, after a Bay Area child was killed by a family pit bull, San Francisco Animal Care and Control cited the decrease in pit bull bites and euthanasia since the adoption of a 2005 pit bull law.

After 12-year-old Nicholas Faibish was fatally mauled by his family's pit bulls, the city adopted a mandatory spay-neuter law for the breed. The reasoning was that fixed dogs tend to be calmer and better socialized.

Since then, San Francisco has impounded 14 percent fewer pit bulls and euthanized 29 percent fewer - which is a "significant decrease," said Rebecca Katz, director of the city's Animal Care and Control department.

Another significant indicator, she said, is that there have been 28 pit bull bites reported in the past three years - and 1,229 bites by other breeds during the same period. In the three-year period before that, there were 45 pit bull bites and 907 incidents involving other breeds.

Results of mandatory breed-specific S/N in SF: success in San Francisco, where in just eight years there was a 49% decline in the number of pit-bulls impounded, a 23% decline in the number of pit-bulls euthanized, and an 81% decline in the number of pit-bulls involved in fatal and disfiguring attacks.When the City of Auburn debated enacting a pit bull law in January 2010, Sgt. Bill Herndon of the San Francisco Police Department weighed in about the success of San Francisco's 2005 pit bull law:

"Since requiring all pit bulls to be neutered, they say they are finding fewer pit bulls involved in biting incidents.

Sgt. Bill Herndon, of the San Francisco Police Department's vicious dog unit, said the numbers and severity of pit bull attacks are down since San Francisco enacted an ordinance in 2005 after the mauling death of 12-year-old Nicholas Faibish.

"The number of complaints of mean pit bulls has dropped dramatically," Herndon said.San Francisco's animal control department reports more than 30 percent fewer pit bulls at the shelter or being euthanized." **************************************************************** Ed Boks, Executive director, Yavapai Humane Society (responsible Jan 2004 as director City Center for Animal Care & Control in NYC for trying to rename pit bulls New Yorkies; is pb owner)

Pit bull type dogs represent 3000% the actuarial risk compared to other types of dogs. Insurance companies will have calculated the risks the other listed breeds represent based on what they’ve had to pay out through the years.

This isn’t ‘prejudice’, this is cold statistical reality. Actuarial realities don’t yield to sentiment or a feeling of entitlement — they just are what they are************************************************************************************************Doctors at University Hospital RespondIn 2011, the Annals of Surgery published a critical peer-reviewed scientific study pertaining to severe and fatal pit bull injuries (Mortality, Mauling and Maiming by Vicious Dogs, by John K. Bini, et al.), authored by doctors at San Antonio University Hospital.In the landmark 2012 Tracey v. Solesky decision, which declared pit bulls "inherently dangerous," the highest court in Maryland cited the entire abstract of this study. The conclusions by the University Hospital doctors:

pit bull Conclusions: Attacks by pit bulls are associated with higher morbidity rates, higher hospital charges, and a higher risk of death than are attacks by other breeds of dogs. Strict regulation of pit bulls may substantially reduce the US mortality rates related to dog bites.

The majority of the San Antonio Express-News article pertains to this study and a rehearsed rehashing of the 30-year old pit bull debate.One of the primary authors of the study, Dr. Stephen Cohn, is interviewed in the article. "We've had people that have almost lost their legs just going out for a run," said Dr. Stephen Cohn, a professor of surgery at the Health Science Center."This is a complete hazard for all of us."

You will also not prevent the dog from being what he is genetically predisposed to be. Because the inbred postures and behaviors feel good, fitting the body and brain the dog has been bred with, they are internally motivated and internally rewarded.

This means that the behavior is practically impossible to extinguish by manipulating external environmental stimuli.

The reward is not in the environment, but in the dog itself! As Coppinger and Coppinger (2001, p. 202) put it, “The dog gets such pleasure out of performing its motor pattern that it keeps looking for places to display it.” Some dogs get stuck in their particular inbred motor pattern.

As pointed out above, this kind of aggression has appeared in some other breeds as an unexpected and undesired anomaly – the golden retriever, the Berner Senne hund, the cocker spaniel have all had this problem.

The lovers of aggressive breeds try to use these breeding accidents to prove that their aggressive breeds are just like any other dog, “see, they’re no different from the cuddly breeds.” But a cuddly breed sometimes ending up stuck with a genetic disaster does not prove that the behavior is normal canine behavior. All it proves is that the behavior is genetically determined.

"These dogs aren't killers because they have the wrong owners, rather they attract the wrong owners because they are killers." The 100 Silliest Things People say about dogs.

JOHN FAUL, animal behaviorist

Faul said they were dangerous and a threat to life. He said the pitbull was bred to be absolutely fearless and had a "hair-trigger" attack response.

"The cardinal rule is that these dogs are not pets," he said.

"The only way to keep them is in a working environment."

He said the only relationship one could have with the pitbull was one of "dominance, sub-dominance", in which the dog was reminded daily of its position.

ANDREW ROWAN, PhD, Tufts Center for Animals

"A pit bull is trained to inflict the maximum amount of damage in the shortest amount of time. Other dogs bite and hold. A Doberman or a German shepherd won't tear if you stand still.

A pit bull is more likely to remove a piece of tissue. Dogs fight as a last resort under most circumstances. But a pit bull will attack without warning. If a dog shows a submissive characteristic, such as rolling over most dogs wills top their attack. A pit bull will disembowel its victim."

"A study by Dr Randall Lockwood of the US Humane Society found that pit bulls are more likely to break restraints to attack someone and that pit bulls are more likely to attack their owners, possibly as a result of owners trying to separate their dogs from victims."

The domestic dog (Canis familiaris), with its more than 400 recognised breeds [1], displays great variation in behaviour phenotypes.

Favourable behaviour is important for well-being and negative traits such as aggression may ruin the owner-dog relationship and lead to relinquishment to shelters or even euthanasia of otherwise healthy dogs [2,3].

Behavioural traits result from an interaction of both genetic and environmental factors. Breed specific behavioural traits such as hunting, herding and calmness/aggression are, however, evidence of a large genetic component and specific behaviours show high heritabilities [4-8].

ALAN BECK, Sc.D

However, Alan Beck, director of the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine Center of the Human-Animal Bond, favors letting the breed go into extinction.

“This breed alone is a risk of serious public health factors,” Beck said. “We are keeping them alive against their own best interests.”

Beck said while he does not advocate taking dogs from current and caring owners, he does feel that it has become more of a social and political issue for people than a health one.

“If these dogs were carrying an actual disease, people would advocate euthanizing them,” Beck said. “This breed itself is not natural.”

"It has this sort of mystique that attracts a population of people. Of course, most of these dogs are never going to bite, as champions of the breed will tell you. But most people who smoke don't get cancer, but we know regulations help reduce a significant risk."

"I know you're going to get beat up for this. But they just aren't good dogs to own. That's why so many of them are relinquished to shelters. There are too many other breeds out there to take a chance on these guys."

MERRITT CLIFTON, journalist, Animal People editor

There are very few people, if any, who have written more on behalf of dogs over the past 40-odd years than I have, or spent more time down the back alleys of the developing world observing dogs in the habitats in which normal dogs came to co-evolve with humans.

But appreciation of the ecological roles of street dogs & coyotes, exposing dog-eating and puppy mills, opposition to indiscriminate lethal animal control, introduction of high-volume low-cost spay/neuter and anti-rabies vaccination, introduction of online adoption promotion, encouraging the formation of thousands of new humane societies worldwide, etc., are not to be confused with pit bull advocacy.

Pit bull advocacy is not defending dogs; it is defending the serial killers of the dog world, who kill, injure, and give bad reputations to all the rest. Indeed, pit bull advocacy, because it erodes public trust in dogs and people who care about dogs, stands a good chance of superseding rabies as the single greatest threat to the health, well-being, and human appreciation of all dogs worldwide.

STANLEY COREN, PhD

"A dog's breed tells us a lot about that dog's genetic heritage and makeup. Genetics is a strong determinant of personality. In the absence of any other information, we can make a reasonable prediction about how the dog will behave based upon its breed." p 84

"When we crossbreed, we lose some of that predictability, since which genes will be passed on by each parent and how they will combine is a matter of chance. Fortunately, there is some data to suggest that we can still make predispositions without knowing much about its parentage.

John Paul Scott and John L Fuller carried out a series of selective breeding experiments at the Jackson Laboratories in Bar Harbor, Maine. By happy chance, their results revealed a simple rule that seems to work. Their general conclusion was that a mixed breed dog is most likely to act like the breed that it most looks like."

17 killed by pit bull type dogs directly of the 32 dead are children.Stars indicate people killed by a ‘family’ pit bull – ones that hadbeen raised and cherished as an indoor pet, ‘never showed aggressionbefore’, and knew the victim.

Child fatalities by pit bull type dog (17):

Kara E. Hartrich, 4 years old, Bloomington, Illinois. **Je'vaeh Maye, 2 years old, Temple Texas. **Braelynn Rayne Coulter, 3 years old, High Point, North Carolina. **Kenneth Santillan, 13 years old, Patterson, N.J. by a BullmastiffRaymane Camari Robinson, 2 years old, Killeen, TX by a Bullmastiff **Mia Derouen, 4 years old, Houma, Louisiana **Christopher Malone, 3 years old, Thornton, MS **John Harvard, 5 year old, Riverside, AL **Kassi Haith, 4 years old, Felton, Del.Demonta Collins, 13 years old, Augusta, Georgia he dashed into traffic as he was running from a pit bull attacking him and was hit by a car and was killed.Davon Jiggetts,17 years old, Riverdale, Georgiahe dashed into traffic as he was running from a pit bull attacking him and was hit by a car as was the pit bull, both were killed.Holden William Garrison-10 weeks old, Springfield Township, MI **Friends of family state that the dog is a Pit bull Mix a Catahoula Hound mixed with Pit Bull.Logan Shepard, 4 years old, Riverview, Florida **Jonathon Quarles Jr, 7 months old, Dayton, Ohio. **Joel Chirieleison, 6 years old, Fanning Springs, FL **Deriah Solem, 22 months, ST. Charles, Mo. **Javon Dade, Jr, 4 years old, Goulds, FL **

If 27 of 33 dead were killed by pit bull attack, that’s 82% dead by pit attack, 9% dead by ‘molosser’, 3% by some kind of GSD mix, 3% by a husky + possibly pit mix, 3% by Shiba Inu.

If you count the pit-mix mastiffs as pit bull types, that’s 91% killed by attacking pit bull types. Pit types are only about 6% of the entire dog population.

The man who ran into traffic kept pit bulls himself. He knew perfectly well what the two stranger pit bulls that were chasing him would do if they caught him, so he preferred to risk a swift death by oncoming car.

This Paul Lavalle should be ashamed of himself for taking this lady's case! I suppose he is needing to distribute the wealth for himself as well! This family should be suing her. If these dogs had come in the my yard attacking my dogs-they would have died period. Lady needs to go find a job&someone needs to make sure she gets the insurance on these dogs-doubt she will.

Paul Lavalle is a money grubbing scumbag for defending the gold digging liar of a client he has...too bad that the Texas City folks don't flood both the woman and the lawyer with phone calls....Texas City is better than this....

Paul La Valle: 409-945-3314 the so called lawyer who has taken this case-let him hear from all of you! Mrs. White-you need to drop this case & go buy this family another beagle-that is the least you should do-oh and get rid of your pit bulls!

Regardless of how you feel about the merits of the case, or the merits of the people filing it, there is no excuse for making death threats and levying a barrage of personal attacks. If you really believe this lawsuit is an example of really low behavior, don't stoop even lower by threatening people, barraging their business phone line with harassing phone calls, etc. They can't be lower than the lowest as long as there are people out there trying to slither beneath them.

Death threats, if any were actually made, are over the line, but real outrage, real disgust with what's...disgusting, and making some noise about it, is a normal human reaction. It is typical of those who are not constantly walking on the center stripe of the road of life, and/or those who have never had more than the originally supplied two hands they were born with....[whistling]

If one were to assume that someone that sees a problem with harassment and death threats isn't bothered by people filing lawsuits that seem frivolous. I can find ways to be outraged that don't involve harassing people and threatening their lives. Are you saying that's unusual? I hope it isn't unusual, but, if it is, I'm glad to be unusual and a source of amusement for you. Maybe I'm not a sheeple after all.

So where do you get the idea that I took issue with outrage and disgust about the nature of the lawsuit? Where do you get the idea that I don't find reasons to be outraged? Because I'm not filing death threats and placing harassing phone calls?

I wrote someplace earlier...LaValle probably found out the Bakers have home owners insurance...or maybe not...betcha this Emerald White is on the take from the county also...good information on where she lives somebody posted...if I was her, I'd leave town.

From what I saw someplace (may have been White's facebook page if that is the same Emerald White, she works for Margaritaville Resorts in Galveston...her facebook page says she is from Louisiana ...never knew there would be so many emerald whites...think this must be here...? I called Margaritaville yesterday to see if she is employed there.

One shouldn't be able to get a person personal info. This is a safety issues and a issue for a persons right to keep things privateA person that wants to do something bad to her should not have this info. They already have had death threats.

Yes, you are right. For someone with scruples, the "Depends" doesn't bother me. However, there are people out there severely lacking in scruples. Those people do not need someone doing their research for them, and providing the products of that research for free in a newspaper forum.

Someone posted the address where this woman is moving...I googled it...2601 13th Street texas city.,,,interesting...no fence. Below that (the picture of the house), there is an article from the Police News with the entire document filed by LaValle to the court, Also interesting...here's the info from another post much earlier:"The below:Also, she does not own the property, 2612 9th St N, where the dogs were. She does not own the property at 2601 13th Ave N, which she lists as her address in the lawsuit. The Bakers, however, do own their property at 2616 9th.

She and her lawyers know where the money is.

Can't get the link to work right now, but you can look all this up here: http://www.galvestoncad.org/Appraisal/PublicAccess/PropertySearch.aspx?PropertySearchType=3&SelectedItem

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